A Time Once Lost
by Perfect Soldier 01
Summary: LxZ. When two hearts have been separated for seven years, it is difficult to pick up the pieces of a broken love. But when two familiar faces are forced together again, will they be able to overcome their past mistakes and heal their aching wounds?
1. Link: Decisions

**AN: I'm back again with a new LxZ story! Before we get started, here are just a couple of notes about the setting:**

**I know that _officially_ Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess are not meant to come straight after each other and that it has been confirmed that the Link and Zelda in Twilight Princess are not the same as in Ocarina of Time. But I was struck by the many parallels and similarites between the two games, so this story places Twilight Princess seven years after Zelda sent Link back in time.**

**Each chapter will also alternate with Link and Zelda's point of view. I hope you enjoy this. - Perfect Solider 01**

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**A Time Once Lost**

By Perfect Solider 01

**Chapter 1: Link - Decisions**

The two objects rested in my hands, both of them seeming to weigh as much as each other. I glanced from the cerulean blue ocarina to the thick sheaf of paper decorated with the red seal of the Royal Crest. Laying the letter aside for a moment, I took the ocarina into my hands and my fingers glided over the small circular holes. It still hadn't lost its sheen after all these years. This was the first time I had held it since I had returned from Termina, but I could still remember the melodies that had been passed down to me on my adventures. I smiled as I recalled one of the first songs I had learnt, but thinking about the lullaby called the letter to the front of my mind.

I replaced the ocarina in my hands with the letter. It was an invitation from Princess Zelda herself, imploring me to attend a ceremony to mark my bravery in defeating Ganondorf. I wanted to refuse. I had merely done the duty I owed to my friends and loved ones, and nothing that required such pomp and recognition. The best words she could have written to me may have been to return to Ordon and continue living my life. But her words contained the very opposite. As well as attending the ceremony, her unfamiliar handwriting spoke of a revered place in the Royal Guard that would be mine, were I to accept it.

I would be uprooted again and torn away from my friends, just as I had been forced to do seven years ago. I had been searching for a place to call home for a long time. My search for Navi had been unsuccessful, and so I had returned to Hyrule, friendless and alone. Knowing that I was of Hylian heritage I couldn't return to the Kokiri Forest, but there had been nowhere else for me to go. Stumbling upon Ordon Village by accident had been a fortune sent from the goddesses.

Yet the promise of entertaining Zelda's presence tugged at my heart, urging me to accept. Before the Twilight crisis, the last time I had seen her was when I had departed for Termina. She had pressed into my hands the very ocarina that laid before me now, her tears running down her small but beautiful face. But she had changed since then, as if I had been wiped away from her memory. I could still feel her hand against mine, restraining my sword from rising while we stood before Ganondorf's rampaging steed. I thought I had seen an earnest glimmer of love in her eyes, a smile on her lips, but I had been mistaken.

After we had bid farewell to Midna, we parted ways in the briefest of manners. She had always been elegant, even as a child, but she was almost too graceful in her demeanour when we said goodbye. She wasn't the same girl that I had left behind.

When I was alone I walked Epona home, feeling that if I rode I would be home all too quickly. I couldn't understand Zelda's behaviour and I needed time to think and take in all that had happened. I had felt angry. It seemed as though our childhood had meant nothing to her while it had meant nearly everything to me. She should be happy. I had lived the lost life she had wanted me to experience, but now it was all for nought. If she couldn't remember, what good was it to send me back when I could have remained at her side?

I had toyed with the idea that she might have been putting on a front, pretending that she couldn't have acknowledged me in her situation, but even as I looked back at her letter there was nothing in her words that I could discern as a particular desire to see me. Her hand was too formal and correct. The only other excuse I could make for her was that she had never believed that I would return from my quest.

I thrust the letter down next to the ocarina. Now I had recovered that angry frustration that had been haunting me ever since I had parted from her. But glancing at the blue instrument, a thought struck me. Perhaps I could prove to Zelda who I was. She must surely be able to remember the one person whom she gave her most treasured possession to…

Springing up form my chair, my determination had been set alight. I started packing my things, resolving to confront the princess. I couldn't bear the thought of her not knowing everything that we had shared in the past. It made me feel as though reliving my childhood was worthless, and I wished that Zelda had never sent me back in time.

When it came to it, I didn't really own that much that I wanted to take with me. Everything could be packed onto Epona with enough room for me to still ride. I was eager now to get out into Hyrule Field and to see Hyrule Castle mounted on the horizon, though the aftermath of Ganondorf had rendered it more of a ruin than a castle.

Glancing at the details of the letter one last time, a contact would be waiting for me in the castle town and they would then guide me to where the Royal Family had retreated until the castle was rebuilt.

As I was saddling up Epona, I heard someone approach from the village.

"Where are you going, Link?"

I turned around to see Ilia standing tentatively behind me, her eyes downcast. I wasn't sure what I should say.

"I've been summoned," I said briefly.

"By who?" she cried, stepping forward.

"I'd rather not - "

"Why are you leaving us again?"

Her voice was becoming strained. I looked at her trying to hide the small tears that stung her eyes, and felt my heart swell. I walked towards her and took her hands in mine.

"I'm sorry, Ilia. Don't cry." She turned her head away. "Please tell everyone that I'm going away. I didn't want there to be a fuss. Will you do that for me?"

She nodded briefly and broke away from me, her tears flowing freely down her face.

"Write me a letter," she choked. "I'll never forgive you if you don't." And before I could say goodbye she had disappeared around the corner out of sight.

I felt guilty that I was leaving her alone again, but I knew that there were more important things to be settled. Before anyone else saw me I leapt up onto Epona's back and spurred her on into Faron Woods. Taking one last look at my home, I took a deep breath of the forest air. The smell of the trees would certainly be something that I would miss.

As we approached the entrance to Hyrule Field, my memory of leaving Kokiri Forest rose to the surface of my mind. I remembered my parting with Saria, another lost friend that I now knew nothing about. I smiled sadly and looked up into the sky, knowing that somewhere she was watching over me with the other sages. Bringing my eyes back to the prospect in front of me, I saw the turrets of Hyrule Castle still piercing the skyline, even though most of its majesty now lay in a mound of rubble.

I urged Epona onward as every vein in my body was full of impatience. I would make her remember who I was.

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**AN: Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me how I'm doing. After a year and a half hiatus, I'm probably a bit rusty. I'll be back soon with another chapter. Until then, - Perfect Solider 01**


	2. Zelda: Memories

**AN: Here's Chapter 2! I realise this story is a bit slow starting, but I promise that the next chatper starts to up the action. Just a reminder, this chapter is written from Zelda's point of view. I hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to review. :D I would really appreciate it.**

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**A Time Once Lost**

By Perfect Soldier 01

**Chapter 2: Zelda – Memories**

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As I looked out over Hyrule I thought I could see a small moving figure in the distance. However there were still so many moblin tribes wandering the plains these days that it could have been anything at all. I had noticed that they had been restless these past few days, and many were on the move. More and more were migrating from their current dens. I couldn't be certain what their true purpose was, but they seemed to be leaving Hyrule for other lands. I only hoped that it was true.

I tried to turn my attention back to the papers lying in front of me, but my eyes were wandering continually to look for that strange, lone figure crossing the landscape. Our retreat in the Peak Province lay between two mountains and so the view it afforded was small, but now and again it came into my line of vision, coming forever closer. Now that Hyrule Castle no longer obstructed the view, I could even see the vague green horizon where Faron Woods began from my window, and I wondered whether this traveller had set out from that region. I suddenly realised that it might be Link.

A smile crossed my lips. If it was Link, his journey must mean that he had accepted my proposal concerning his knighthood. Ever since he had proved his worth against Ganondorf I had wanted to keep him close. Then the people would no longer have to wait for a saviour.

But thinking of a saviour led my thoughts down the path of seven years ago, and I rested my forehead on the back of my hands, staring down at my wooden desk. The papers blurred in front of my eyes, my mind becoming more occupied with my memories. Where had he gone? I knew that this boy from Ordon couldn't be the same person. If I had been any sort of friend at all to him, I believed that he would have told me when he had returned from his quest.

But he never did. Had Navi really been more important than his country or his princess? Every time I asked myself that question something began to wrench inside my chest, the cruel sting of betrayal clutching my heart.

I slammed my fist down.

"Damn him!" I said aloud. Damn him for making me feel so miserable!

I knew that I had vowed to forget him a long time ago, but something refused to let me live in peace. I remembered when this new hero had placed his hand on top of mine, lending his power to me during the brutal fight against Ganondorf in Hyrule Field. I felt tears creep into my eyes as the only thing I saw at that moment was that fateful day seven years ago, long vanished in the flow of time, of us standing among the clouds of the heavens. I saw my friend's face, the sadness in his eyes, aching, pleading with me not to turn back the wheels of history. Now I wished I had obeyed his plight…

Yet Link's hand had the same texture, the identical rough, strong fingers as his, and I saw the same sorrow pour into Link's features when Midna departed for the Twilight Realm. And then there was Link's horse, a creature that possessed every trace of his beautiful mare, Epona. But this hero, this Link…he couldn't be the same person. I refused to believe it.

I didn't even know whether he was still alive. Ever since he had left for Termina, I hoped that each day would bring news of his return. I had waited for it, longed for it, and prayed to the goddesses with all my soul for it.

But nothing came. Each day passed with nothing. I had lost all hope of him ever returning after a year had passed. It was too much for my heart to bear, everyday full of sadness. I had begun to feel that sending Link back in time really was a mistake. I was only being subjected to repeat the same suffering all over again, however this time the pain seemed so much heavier. And then Hyrule fell victim to an even worse reign of tyranny. I could barely forgive myself for my foolishness.

I glanced briefly at the Triforce crest on the back of my hand. How could I deserve to carry this Triforce of Wisdom? I was about as worthy as Ganondorf in possessing such a holy gift. I had no right to call myself wise. Vice was my only virtue, a naïve, misconstrued vision of the world, and of its people.

I sighed as a gentle knock came from my door.

"Excuse me, your grace, but we've just received a message that Link has made contact with Impa in the Castle Town. He should be expected here by sun down."

I got up to see a servant with a hawk perched silently on his shoulder. He humbly handed the small coded message to me and placed it in my hand.

"Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Please go and oversee the arrangement of Link's quarters in the east wing," I said. "When he arrives, please inform him that I will have to speak with him tomorrow morning. I cannot ignore these papers for much longer."

"Very good, your highness."

To be truthful, these papers were in no need of urgent attention, but if I saw Link tonight in my agitated frame of mind I might not be able to restrain myself from my struggling emotions. The sun was already low in the sky, the undersides of the clouds beginning to glow a faint lilac.

I slightly regretted that it had been a clear day today, even though there were often blizzards or gentle snowstorms that completely blocked out any view of the land below. Those storms sealed me off from the world, veiling the destruction that I had brought upon my people. I could escape my blundering mistakes without feeling so guilty.

I watched the night encroach into the sky, waiting for the inevitable dawn when I would have to face Link. I almost wished that time would stop right here, just as the day met the night, but I smiled ironically remembering the events of the past month. Hyrule has had quite enough of the twilight.

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**AN: ****Please review and let me know what you thought :) , even if it's a really small thought! Until the next chapter then,**

- Perfect Soldier 01


	3. Link: Discovery

**AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed last time. :) I'm going to do a small plug now, so bear with me. If you haven't already, check out** _I'd Love to Love You_** by** lxzc2**. It's a joint account where a group of writers have joined together to write an LxZ story. I've written the second chapter, and will be writing another one soon. It's getting quite exciting! Okay, plug over. Back to the story... **

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**A Time Once Lost**

By Perfect Soldier 01

**Chapter 3 – Link: Discovery**

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I had been surprised to see Impa waiting for me in the ruin of the market square. I hadn't seen her for such a long time. She looked tired and weary; more so than I last remembered her. The Sheikah's age had finally beginning to show through her features, but I soon found that nothing changed.

"The Princess is expecting you. Please follow me and try to keep up," she ordered.

Evidently her age hadn't affected her spirit, and even I had a little difficulty in believing that she was still as strong and agile as she once was. She mounted her white horse with ease and left immediately, leaving me behind to go after her at my own pace.

I was a little puzzled that those were the only words she deemed necessary to express. Had she forgotten who I was as well?

But putting her aloof welcome aside, I followed her along a path to the northwest, the familiar mountains of the Peak Province soon coming into view. Even though it had been a clear and warm day, there was still snow lying on the ground. Eventually Impa slowed down to a walk to allow her horse an easier passage through the thick white blanket of snow. I too was soon grounded to a walking pace, and I began to notice that the temperature had been steadily falling ever since we had begun our journey up the mountainside. I quickly retrieved a cloak from one of my bags and wrapt around me.

Nightfall was fast approaching, and it soon became difficult to see her white stead against the snow-covered ground. But just as I lost sight of her, hundreds of small fiery torches pierced the darkness, illuminating a great looming manor in front of me. As I approached our destination I saw that many of the lights came from the windows high above me, lit by large candles that resided next to the glass.

As I entered into the courtyard I dismounted, sliding the ocarina into my pocket before two guards came toward me to take care of Epona and my belongings. I turned round and almost jumped out of my skin to find Impa standing right beside me. She eyed me strangely, but the expression quickly disappeared from her face.

She motioned for me to follow her, and a light snow had just started to fall from the sky as we crossed the courtyard and went up to a pair of great oak doors. I glanced behind me quickly, feeling that just a moment ago I had been able to see all the way down to Hyrule Field, and now I couldn't see anything, completely cut off from the world.

Impa's voice broke my thoughts. "I will guide you to your room. I am afraid that the Princess is not able to see you this evening. A messenger will be sent to announce when dinner is ready."

Without another word she strode down the hallway. A touch of misery set into my heart, increasing the sense of loneliness that was beginning to dampen the life I was about to lead. I hadn't expected a parade, but I thought my welcome would be a little warmer than this.

My feet seemed to drag as I trailed after Impa. Not once did she turn around to see if I was behind her. Suddenly she stopped, opened a door, and waited for me to enter. As soon as I had stepped inside she closed the door, and I was left alone inside a dark, cold room. A small candle burned on a table at the far end of the chamber and to my right was a large bed that looked incredibly inviting at the moment. I sat down on the soft covers and fell back into the mattress, my legs still hanging over the edge.

This square enclosure was now to be where I lived. Sighing at the prospect of not waking every morning to the sound of birdsong and the smell of the grass and trees, I shivered slightly. I sat up again and looked around. Behind the bed there was a fireplace that I hadn't seen before, and so I quickly got up, took the candle from the table and tried to kindle some small flames against the logs that already lay in the hearth.

As soon as the fire was lit the room was filled with an orange haze. The wood crackled satisfactorily and I set the candle back in its place. Just then a servant entered with my belongings. I thanked him and smiled, but he too was silent as he retreated back outside.

Having put aside my small bags, I took the ocarina out of my pocket and I looked intently at it, thinking of its rightful owner. I had hoped to be able to see the princess this evening. I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to settle this matter.

Realising then that I had no idea how long I would have to wait until dinner, I put the ocarina to my lips and began to play it to while away the hours. I began with my favourite melody, the princess's lullaby. Closing my eyes I recalled all the memories I had of her, my heart aching as I did so.

I remembered our first meeting; the afternoon had filtered down into the courtyard in bright rays of light, casting only faint shadows against the walls. My heart had still been pounding from the adrenaline of dodging all the guards, and when I saw her turn around it certainly didn't slow down. Our encounter had only been very brief, but I remembered coming away feeling as though I had known her all my life.

But then my thoughts came to dwell upon our second experience together, even more fleeting than the first. That had been the first time I had really feared anything at all. Staring up at Ganondorf's mighty black steed had forced me to acknowledge the real threat that this man posed to Hyrule, and at that moment I wanted more than anything to flee along with Zelda to safety.

And then I reflected one of our newest meetings, the time I first laid eyes on her after seven years, in a form unrecognisable to her. I had seen the toll of ruling a kingdom hover lethargically in her eyes. Zelda had aged slightly different to how I remember her before she sent me back in time, and I wondered whether I had done the same.

I opened my eyes, realising that all our memories together had been very brief, barely a couple of minutes together at a time, and yet I could not deny the feelings that made my heart want to burst.

As I continued playing I thought I heard someone approach from outside. Their footsteps echoed down the corridor, but I waited until a knock interrupted my song before I stopped. The footsteps ceased, but as I waited longer and longer for there to be a knock at my door, nothing came.

The footsteps suddenly started again and I rose swiftly to see who my eavesdropper had been. But there was no one there when I opened my door. I waited and listened for a moment, and the faint muffle of someone weeping reached my ears. As the wind howled softly outside I strayed from my room and followed the sound down the corridor. A shadow flashed against the wall at the far end, but as I turned the corner I almost collided with a servant.

"Excuse me sir," she said apologetically. "Forgive my clumsiness, but Miss Impa wanted me to tell you that dinner is ready. Please follow me."

I mumbled an apology as well but she didn't seem to hear it. I realised that I still had the ocarina in my hand so I slipped it inside my cloak where no one would see it.

"Miss Impa says that you are to dine with her this evening," she said breaking the silence. "The princess is so busy lately that we barely see her during the day." Her voice had relaxed a little and she turned around when she spoke to me, making me feel more at ease.

We soon reached a door and Impa was waiting inside. Just as the servant left us Impa stood up to speak.

"I am sorry for the princess's absence this evening. I hope that you are pleased with your room?"

"Yes, of course," I mumbled, unexpectedly feeling embarrassed as her eyes stared at me relentlessly.

"Well, I hope you will be happy here," she said with a small smile. She then came toward me, her smile disappearing. "But I do hope that you were planning on explaining to Zelda where, in this god-forsaken land, you have been hiding for the past seven years, Hero of Time."

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**AN: Thanks for reading! As always, reviews are more than welcome :D. More to come soon!**

- Perfect Solider 01


	4. Zelda: Heartbreak

**AN: Sorry about being a bit late with this one! I noticed in your reviews that a few of you thought that because Impa knows, Zelda knows as well. This is not the case...yet. Impa only knows because she saw the Ocarina of Time. Link and Zelda still have to sort things out between themselves, and thus we come to this chapter! Things are starting to get interesting...I hope you enjoy this one! ****

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**A Time Once Lost**

By Perfect Solider 01

**Chapter 4 – Zelda: Heartbreak**

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The morning sun filtered into my window, the thin curtains unable to hold back the bright rays of light that streamed down upon the mountainside. I turned over and pulled my covers over my head, not wanting to get up and face the day that now presented itself to me.

A small tear stung my eye as I recalled the previous evening. I had been walking down the corridor that led to Link's room in the east wing when I heard a melody echo down the hallway. It had made me stop suddenly and I remembered feeling my heart begin to beat vigorously against my ribs. But it was too faint to be entirely sure what it was, so I had moved closer and closer until I stopped outside Link's door.

The song was the lullaby Impa used to sing to me as a child. My breath caught itself in my throat; it was the melody of an ocarina, and I could tell that this song was not unfamiliar to him. He was playing each note with sincerity, the tone a mixture of gentleness and powerful emotion. It was a sound that I had only heard from one other person.

Just then the tune moved into the Song of Time, the last melody that had passed between us both as adults and as children. I hurried away before Link might have heard me and went straight back to my own chamber. Was this boy to become more and more like the one I had lost? Why were the goddesses tormenting me in this way? I knew that nothing could ever restore what had been taken from me; no one would ever be able to take his place in my heart, not even if this Link was like him in every way.

But I couldn't help but hope that, by some small chance of fate, he really was the same person. Part of me wanted him to be the Link that I had known and loved, the one that had saved both me and Hyrule from its darkest hour. Then the pain would cease and I might, in time, be able to forget the suffering that I had lived with so closely for these last seven years.

However, the other half told me that he wasn't, that I was only seeing the things I wanted to see to ease my heartache. I had always imagined that if I were ever to see Link again, my soul would leap inside me, that I would know instantly that he had returned to me. But nothing had happened when I had seen this boy for the first time.

A servant knocked on my door and entered with a tray of breakfast.

"Good morning, your highness," she said. "I'll just leave this over here." The maid placed the tray down and retreated out of the door. I smiled at her as she left and she bowed her head in recognition as she closed the door.

I sighed deeply, resigning myself to whatever this morning had in store for me. I dressed quickly and ate a little of what was on the tray. The cooks were always preparing far too much food these days, but I also didn't feel very hungry. Anxiety was slowly filling the absent space in my stomach until I couldn't bear to even look at the food in front of me.

I pushed the tray away hastily and got up, marching myself out of my room. A sudden determination seized my heart. I would get to the bottom of this and stop pitying my situation.

Just as I left my room, I saw Impa coming towards me.

"Good morning, princess. I trust you slept well?"

"Thank you, Impa. I did," I said, averting my eyes slightly as I finished speaking.

"Princess, you were never a very good liar. What is troubling you?"

"Nothing, Impa, nothing." She arched an eyebrow, obviously not too convinced.

"If you were looking for Link, I'm afraid he's doing some early morning training at the moment in the barracks. Would you like me to summon him for you?"

"No thank you, Impa. I'll summon him later."

"Very well. Have a good day, Zelda."

"You too, Impa." We smiled at each other and went our separate ways.

I carried on, going straight to the barracks. I wouldn't be able to wait until later to speak with Link. As I passed some of the maids going about their morning duties I noticed them staring at me. Many of them stopped what they were doing, uttering a stammered, "G-Good morning, your majesty," as I went past. I smiled and returned the greeting, realising that I hadn't seen many of them for days.

I made my way to the west wing entrance and drew a thick cloak around me as I opened the large door. The cold wind hit my face immediately and even though the sun shone brightly in the sky, no warmth seemed to reach the ground. I hurried across the courtyard to a smaller building where the swords and armoury were housed.

As soon as I entered a small room adjoining the training area I could hear Link's sword singing through the air as it collided with another blade from somewhere inside. Seeing my own long-sword hung against the wall, I carefully unhooked it from its resting place. Someone had cleaned it since I had last used it, and the thin blade glimmered with my reflection in the dim light of the room.

I had been taught to use every type of weapon in this room, from daggers to spears, even though I neglected to practise with them. This sword was my favourite, but even though I had been trained to defend myself, it still had been useless in the face of Zant and his army of twilight monsters. I looked down at the sword with a heavy heart. In the end I couldn't fight to protect my people. I could only negotiate their freedom in place of their lives.

I ran my fingers over the ornamented, gold cross-guard, but I heard a door behind me open and close and I saw someone appear in the mirror-like surface of the blade. It was Link.

"Good morning, your highness," he said straightening himself up. "Forgive my intrusion. I didn't expect to find you here." He replaced his hand on the door handle, about to retreat back into the training room.

"Link, this is hardly the occasion for such formalities." He stopped, unsure of whether he was being reprimanded or not, and I placed my sword back against the wall. "I'm sorry," I said, "I've been locked away for so long, I've obviously lost any sense of civility." I smiled lightly, hoping he would not take offence.

He chuckled quietly and took a step toward me. "Is that one yours?" he asked.

"Yes. I believe you've already made its acquaintance," I said, my eyes gazing at the blade. "This was the unfortunate weapon that tried to kill you." My eyes turned to his grave face.

"I'm sorry for what happened, princess."

"You need not apologise. It was hardly your fault."

"But I failed to protect you…again."

I looked straight into his blue, unrelenting eyes. He was perfectly serious. I was at a loss for words. Again? When had he failed to protect me before?

"E-Everyone makes mistakes sometimes," I managed, tearing my eyes and my red face away from his gaze. "Why don't we continue outside?" I feared that if I stayed in here for too long I wouldn't be able to hide my feelings. The cold air outside would soon cool me down.

"As you wish."

We fastened our cloaks and walked side by side, neither of us looking at each other.

"As you understand from my letter," I began, "I would like you to become head of our Hylian Knights. Your presence here confirms your acceptance?"

"Yes, princess."

"Good. Your first task will be to accompany me to Hyrule Castle, or what's left of it, to commence the re-building of our town. We leave tomorrow. It will only be a short trip, there and back again by the time the sun goes down. The other knights will remain to oversee the construction. You are to return here with me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, princess."

I sensed that there was something not quite right in the way he monotonously accepted my words.

"Link?" We both stopped and looked at each other for the first time since we had stepped outside. "Is there something wrong?"

He only sighed quietly, looked at the ground, and then back toward me. His solemn expression suddenly brought me back to the day when we had parted ways as children. His eyes, they were the same…

"I have something else I need to speak to you about, princess. Something very important."

And from the inside of his cloak he presented to me the very instrument I had heard him play yesterday evening. I stared at the Ocarina of Time in fright, not even daring to look up to Link's face.

"I've kept it all this time, ever since we said goodbye," he paused, "seven years ago."

His voice was gentle, hopeful even, as he placed a hand on my shoulder. I wanted more than anything to be able to accept the tender caresses of his fingers, but steeling myself against the rapid poundings of my heart, I quietly removed his hand and let go. When I found the courage to look him in the eye, I could barely see. I couldn't control the tears that launched themselves down my cheeks.

"Where did you get this from?" I choked. When he didn't answer, I repeated the question more violently.

"Zelda - "

"Who are you?" I shouted.

Link reached out his hand again, but someone else grabbed it in mid-air. I blinked away some of my tears to see Impa standing at my side protectively, glaring fiercely as she threw Link's hand away from me. Before I could do or say anything else, she led me away, leaving Link standing there in the cold, alone.

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**AN: Thanks again to everyone who reviewed last time. :) What's Link going to do now? Find out next chapter!**

**Until then, - Perfect Solider 01**


	5. Link: Guilt

**AN: I'm sorry that this chapter is so late! I've had a busy week, with an assessed essay to write, an exam and a mountain of work that all seemed to come at once! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I should hopefully get the next one out a little quicker this time as I've got a week break coming up. But it's finally here, so I hope you like it. 

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**A Time Once Lost**

By Perfect Solider 01

**Chapter 5 – Link: Guilt**

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I stood there, unable to move. As I watched Zelda disappear back inside, every thought stopped. My mind was blank and all sensation ceased to function in my limbs. Nothing made any sense. I couldn't understand what had gone wrong, why I was left here alone, deprived of her warm company.

I didn't even notice the snow that began to fall from the sky. It was only when an involuntary shiver shot through my bones that I came to my senses. Time seemed irrelevant at the moment, and I only really realised just how long I had been standing there when I saw that my feet were almost completely buried in the snow. Lethargically breaking out of my motionless state, I lifted my heavy, sodden boots onto the white, crunchy ground and started to trudge my way back to the manor.

The cold didn't seem to disappear from outside as I walked down the torch-lit hallways. As soon as I returned to my chamber I pulled my chair next to the fire and sat there until my boots were dry. The Ocarina of Time had never left my frozen hands, and clutching it seemed to give the only sign that I could feel anything at all. The mere sight of it was enough for the guilt to start creeping around my throat, and fear began plucking at my heartstrings.

What had I expected? I had hoped Zelda would have been happy, that we could have started anew and wash away the past as if it didn't matter anymore. I had rehearsed what I was going to say in my head, imagining that a joyful smile would have appeared on her face and that I would have been able to hold her delicate body in my arms.

But I had been greeted with something so unbelievably far away from my dream. I saw the reality of all the pain she had endured swell in her eyes, and she had shaken off my touch, denying my attempt to comfort her.

"_Who are you?"_

Her words rang through my mind continuously. Sighing deeply, I stared into the glowing embers, watching the never-ending yellow and orange patterns twist and dance in the fire. I didn't know whether she truly could not remember who I was, or whether reviving the past was just too painful for her. The way she had stared at me would be forever etched in my memory. It was the undeniable proof that I had caused her such great suffering.

I heard the fire crackle and snap, my thoughts abruptly interrupted. I was hardly aware of my limbs having gained any sense of feeling, yet a sudden resolution to alter my image of Zelda's face forced me to stride out of my room. I had to speak to her again, to apologise.

I found a servant and demanded to know where the princess was, and in a timid reply they gave me instructions to direct me toward the north wing. I was perhaps a bit too harsh in my tone, but nothing would delay me.

I feared that Impa would be patrolling the corridors, but as I turned the corner I could see the door at the very end of the hallway completely empty. I slowed my pace, unexpectedly nervous about approaching her door. I could feel no trace of the confidence that had just moments ago inflamed my veins.

I swallowed and crept up to the large oak door, and pressed my ear against the panel. What I heard was so faint I didn't know whether it was tears or words. I backed away, counted to three, took a deep breath, and knocked softly on the door. The noise stopped.

The locks of the door clicked and were unbolted. Impa appeared in the tall, wide doorway.

"The - " She stopped short upon registering my presence. "The princess is unwell. She is unable to see you right now," she said, practically growling her words.

"Please," I pleaded, "let me speak with her."

"Link?" Zelda stood up behind Impa, who reluctantly moved aside slightly.

Her eyes were red and sore, her hands linked but trembling against her. Impa turned her head toward the princess for orders. She smiled weakly at her nursemaid and Impa stood flat against the door, allowing me passage.

"Five minutes," she said, and closed the door.

I stepped in, my eyes lowered to the ground, not wanting to see her hurt expression. We stood awkwardly in silence, and all concept of time disappeared once more. I could hear her laboured breathing as small tears still caught in her throat. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that she wasn't looking at me either.

There were many times when I was about to say something, but the words never came to pass my lips. Formulating a sentence became the most difficult thing I could think of, and anxiety was doing everything it could to agitate my nerves.

The click of footsteps suddenly appeared outside. We both looked up and I took my chance.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

She was silent.

But now that the words had broken the threshold they seemed to slip off my tongue, out of my control. "I came to return this to you," I said, taking the Ocarina and placing it in her hands. "Now you won't have to ask me if you want to turn back time again." A mocking smile was on my lips before I could make it disappear. "I should have given this back sooner. I'm sorry."

At that moment Impa returned. Zelda's mouth never moved, although her eyes told me that every word had been a dagger to her ears, and that every sentence had caused her already broken heart to shatter a little more. As I turned to go, Impa held the door for me. I looked back but Impa had quickly closed the door, the last thing I saw being Zelda standing framed in the doorway, holding the Ocarina of Time close to her heart.

I walked slowly back to my chamber, cursing myself for ever having stepped foot in this wretched place.

I stopped at a window to see the sun already setting in the sky. A red haze was cast over the mountainside, the snow glowing a soft pink. I dreaded what tomorrow would bring when I would have to accompany Zelda to Hyrule Castle.

There would be no way I would ever be able to forgive myself.

As I returned to my bed-chamber, I slumped down on my bed. Rolling over onto my side, I saw a bundle of papers lying on a nearby table. I realised that I had promised to write Ilia a letter. Perhaps that would alleviate my guilt for a short while.

But as I sat down to write, the only things I could think of to say where the traditional deceits: that I was fine and doing well, that I would be home soon, and not to worry about me. Folding it in half and sealing it with wax from the end of my candle, I put the thin sheaf to one side.

I then took the other pieces of paper and started to transcribe everything that had dared to go wrong that day. I recorded every thought that had accompanied my blundering actions and even delving into my own self-pity, resenting the fact that Zelda would not forgive me. When I was done I still wasn't satisfied with my self-punishment.

I wrote even more, filling up all the sheaves I had, criticising everything that had happened since the day Zelda had re-entered my small and peaceful life. I knew that most of it was not true; it was merely my rage scribbling words and phrases before I even knew what I had written.

Pushing them away, having written on every side I went to walk off the rest of my anger as I went to deliver Ilia's letter to the post room. I knew that I had not been gone long, but when I returned the papers I had left on my table were strewn on the floor. For a moment I deluded myself that a gust of wind must have disturbed them, even though I knew my window was firmly closed.

As I knelt down to gather them up, I saw that small circular patches had obscured some of the words.

Someone had come into my room and seen those papers. I could feel my heart pound against my chest as I continued to snatch them from the floor, my own tears falling as I did so. I thrust the vile papers into the fire, now roaring with heat that only made the room more stifling.

I knew exactly who it was and there was nothing more tempting now than to flee, running out of the castle manor and returning to Ordon where I might, in time, be able to live with the despicable deeds I had made even worse.

But I knew that the first sign of darkness was the signal to close up the gates and seal off the manor. It would be far too dangerous to attempt a journey down the mountainside in the dark.

I smiled ironically. That was probably the first rational thought I had had all day.

The wind howled outside, throwing the growing snowstorms against the panes of my window with increasing force. Now I was even more reluctant to enter into tomorrow than I was before. That night I didn't sleep. The fire soon became my sun for those long hours, and it only grew cold when the first light of dawn sprung over the mountain peaks. The day had come, and I was imprisoned to the ever-rising daylight and the chasm of my guilt.

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**AN: Link really put his foot in it this time. More drama ensues next chapter!**

**Until then, ****- Perfect Solider 01**


	6. Zelda: Regret

**AN: So much for trying to get this chapter out a bit quicker. Sorry about that. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Your words are greatly appreciated! Here with go with the next chapter: the aftermath of Link's colossal mess.**

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**A Time Once Lost**

By Perfect Soldier 01

**Chapter 6 – Zelda: Regret**

The snow had not stopped all through the night. Even now, as we were lining up in the courtyard ready to depart, our horses were slowly being covered in thick white layer on top of their scarlet-blanketed coats. The last few preparations were being made, the last bundles of luggage being loaded onto the cart that would follow us down the mountainside. I could feel the impatient shuffling of the escort in the air. After all, most of the soldiers would be remaining in Hyrule Castle Town, and I imagined that most of them would be glad to stay there for a while.

The only one that was returning with me was _him_, the man who, at that moment, I wanted as far away from me as the goddesses would allow. I had not seen him this morning, but I knew he was lurking in the rear ranks of soldiers. A sensible move, I thought.

The chilly air was beginning to contract the size of everyone's sympathetic tolerance, but finally the servants gave the go-ahead, and we immediately set off. The gates were pulled back, creaking and groaning from being awoken from their frozen slumber. I sighed. The hinges would have to be oiled when we returned, yet another job to be done by now even fewer hands than there already were here.

We passed through the gates and Impa rode by my side, but she refrained from saying anything to me for the entire journey. She knew the intricate patterns of my behaviour a little too well, but I thanked her silently for it. There were things I needed to think about alone, without her guidance, and I already knew how Impa felt about Link's return. There would be nothing else she could offer me in way of advice. Ultimately I knew that she could not decide my own feelings for me.

As the silence between us endured, our conversation yesterday began to resurface in my mind.

_"Princess, you cannot ignore the facts. He possesses the Ocarina of Time. It can be no other."_

"_Maybe he stole it," I said childishly._

"_Zelda, you know that cannot be true. Link understood the importance of the Ocarina. He would not be so careless as to let it fall into the hands of a common thief. And even if that did happen, I believe he would ensure its safe return into his own hands. There is nothing you can deny about his identity, however much you want to discredit the truth."_

_I was silent for a while. "Why now? Why now, of all times?"_

"_I don't know. But as the goddesses have decreed it, this is something you are bound to face. If you do not come to terms with yourself and his return, both of you will be miserable much longer than is necessary."_

"_But - "_

"_Zelda," she said sincerely, kneeling in front of me and taking my hands in hers, "you should know better than anyone that you specifically asked Link to live his life as a normal child. Your kind, generous heart wanted him to experience the childhood he had lost. _

"_And he lived those years well. He found a home, the closest thing to what he had lost, and he was welcomed there. Do you really think he would have been able to live a normal life in the castle?" I reluctantly shook my head. "You know that he is a boy of the forest. That is where he belongs, even if he is of Hylian heritage. He has only done what you told him to do, nothing more and nothing less. You cannot expect to be angry with him for that, princess."_

"_I didn't expect him to live here," I mumbled eventually. "All I wanted to know was that he was alive! How hard can that be? A letter, a message, _anything_ would have been enough to stop my from feeling like I had lost him forever!" _

_My words had come out more forcefully than I realised. I could see that Impa was taken aback. As my tears started to fall, she cradled me in her arms, smoothing my hair under her gentle hand. "I know, Zelda, I know."_

The moment after Link had interrupted us. I rubbed my eyes, feeling on the verge of weeping once again. My lips quivered, but I bit them to keep them still.

But his words had struck me as sharply as a sword's blade. He made it sound as though turning back time was easy and simple; that there was no emotional attachment to what I was leaving behind. He implied that I would be cowardly enough to run away from this pain, to erase it with the sound of a few notes. And then his letters...I had not thought him capable of such cruelty and malice. As much as I wanted to erase those hateful words from my mind, they had been etched with such clarity as to make it impossible to ever forget them. The indignation that boiled inside me was more than enough to forestall any kind of forgiveness. He deserved no tears to be shed over him, and I promptly resolved to prevent any more to fall from my eyes.

The day drew on, everyone moving in quiet chatter. We had made it down the mountainside and were just entering into the northern area of Hyrule Field. The snow had ceased, and I gradually felt the warmth of the lowland gloss over my skin. The grey clouds still masked the sun, but its rays broke through to cover the land in a tender radiance. This had been the first time I had ventured down here since it had collapsed. I had thought that the remaining towers looked forlorn from my window back in the manor, but being nearly underneath them made the absence of the castle all the more overpowering. My heart ached to see the space so empty.

By the time we neared the Castle Town the sun had broken free of its clouded prison and was already high in the sky. The people were out in their droves, lining the drawbridge of the Eastern entrance, one of the few bridges that were still safe to cross. The cheers that we were greeted with lifted my sorrows for a while, and the proud smiles on their faces, waving the royal crest on red flags, allowed me to briefly forget my own trifling situation.

But as I looked at the crowds, I could see through their joy into the reality of their situation. They were in desperate need of help. Their happy expressions didn't hide the grief or the hardship that they must have faced. I felt the first pangs of guilt cling to me. My problem with Link was becoming a selfish indulgence. These people needed my support and my action. I could not be wallowing in my own grief.

We arrived in the square, the ruin of the castle staring me in the face. This is what my decisions had amounted to, a fallen country sheltering its vulnerable people within the bones of its corpse. I swallowed deeply and dismounted, and I walked up to the erected platform so that everyone could see me.

The speech was delivered, Link was knighted and the construction commenced. Throughout Link's entire ceremony my eyes were averted, and I retreated into the cold and emotionless shell I had worn for the last seven years. It was easier that way to shut everything off.

"I hereby declare you a knight of Hyrule. Raise, soldier and take your sword." I placed his Master Sword on each of his shoulders, and then handed it to him.

Link also kept his eyes down, his gratitude anything but enthusiastic. "Thank you, your highness. It will be an honour to serve you."

His voice was soft, the reward seeming more of a burden than an honour. He bowed his head humbly as he stepped away and the crowd cheered. As he stood before the masses, I realised then that this was the boy of the forest before me. He was not standing straight, his back arched over slightly, and he was looking at nothing in particular. His eyes were gazing past the crowd, to something I could not discern, but I caught him sighing quietly as he stared into the distance out toward Hyrule Field.

He had not been a hero when he had knelt before me. He was merely a farmer with all the grace of a well-rehearsed actor. I began to feel that enforcing this knighthood upon him was the wrong thing to do.

The festivities started. The square transformed into an outdoor feast hall and couples started to dance in celebration of the town's revival. As much as I wanted to stay among my people and enjoy the simple pleasure of watching them entertain themselves, I was constantly thinking of our departure. I escaped through to the Eastern entrance, and Link was waiting by my horse to escort me home. He didn't look happy to be performing his duty of accompanying me home.

"We better leave soon, your majesty," he said. "It will be getting dark soon."

"I am aware of the time, Link."

He held out his hand to help me up onto my horse, but I didn't take it. He slowly lowered it as I remained stationary, and I could see that it offended him.

"Link," I began timidly, my decision beginning to weigh down on me more than I had expected, "I want you to go home."

"I will, if you would mount your horse."

"No, Link." I looked down. It was getting more difficult to speak every second. "I want you to go home, to Ordon."

He was silent for a moment. "No."

"What?" I said looking up and catching his gaze.

"No," he said again. His tone signified his resolute choice, but it only made me angrier.

"B-But why? I am ordering you to return home. It is obviously where you would rather be, and I know that's the truth! If Ordon were not so important to you, you would have come to see me sooner, not at my own request."

"I would be wary of raising your voice, princess." I turned around at the familiar voice and saw Impa walking towards us. "Someone might overhear you."

"It's all right, Impa. I think we are quite finished here," Link growled. He leapt up onto Epona and cantered away, leaving us behind.

"Link! Wait! Where do you think you're going?" She turned to me in utter confusion. "Where is he going, Zelda?"

"I sent him home," I said quietly as I watched him disappear, suddenly feeling a piece of my heart vanishing with him.

"What? Why would you do such a thing?"

I turned around, my lips shaking. "I sent him home because that is where he should be." I laughed deliriously, rapidly becoming conscious of the fact that I had stupidly done what Link had dared me to do yesterday. Although I had not turned back time, I had sent him away disregarding everything that he might have held dear. I had pushed him back into the forest that I feared so greatly, perhaps never to return.

"Zelda," Impa said sympathetically.

"We had better go, Impa, otherwise we will never be home by nightfall."

"As you wish," she said stiffly after a resigned pause.

Now it was just the two of us that would ride back. We quickly set off, but my mind was hardly focused on where we were going. I kept glancing back, wishing that I would be able to see him riding across the plains in the burning light of the setting sun, but all was in vain. I saw nothing, and even less once the snow started to fall again. The weather's veil had separated me once more from the world, just as it should be. I returned with an even heavier heart than I had earlier, and once I reached the sanctuary of my chamber the agony of regret swelled in the tears that now fell of their own accord. I had become the instrument of my own misery.

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**AN: Please review! I wasn't so sure about some parts to this chapter. Were some parts too long or short? Was the tension all wrong? I'd love to know your thoughts. :)**

**Until the next chapter - Perfect Soldier 01**


	7. Link: Resolve

**A Time Once Lost**

By Perfect Solider 01

**Chapter 7 – Link: Resolve**

She had dismissed me, sent me away, out of her grasp.

The heavy thought rolled around my head with the rhythm of Epona's beating hooves, never ceasing to disappear or transform into any logical explanation. Everything I had been looking forward to in this new journey had been smashed and thrown back in my face. The hopeful dream I had had of living side by side with the princess was broken, every feeling revolting to contemplate. I had ridden with such anticipation, but now I returned dejected and forsaken.

The border of Faron Woods approached on the horizon and I slowed Epona down to a walk. My destination was presenting itself to me, but the overhanging clouds of the evening sky certainly did not give the most welcome impression. I turned around in my saddle, gazing back at the crumbled castle spires, imagining that I could see Zelda's manor in-between the mountains from where I sat. I wondered whether she would have looked back across the plains when she ascended back to her retreat, but thought it unlikely. Up there she could become detached from reality; she could live without any regret of her actions and continue peacefully, blissfully unaware of the hardship the survivors were left behind with.

I sighed and continued onwards. I would have felt angry towards her, but every ounce of it had been wasted already, and now nothing remained but a cold numbness that exhausted every attempt to feel anything at all.

As I recalled our partings over the years, each one of them had been for a purpose. We had seen each other off with a smile, but now she would not be there when I returned. I had been banished. Every bond we had shared was gone, torn apart by our foolishness. They felt beyond our reach to recover, and we would have to be content in our idiocy.

But I knew these mistakes could not end like this. With every step closer to Ordon I felt more and more on the verge of turning Epona around and racing back to the castle, hoping to catch up to Zelda before she entered into the mountains. I had every inclination to do it, but a voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Link!" she cried, "You've come back!"

I turned my head slowly to face the voice I knew so well, and saw Ilia standing there with a basket in her hands. It was full of small red fruits, and small pink stains marked her clothes. She immediately put it down and ran towards me. I smiled, happy to see the first friendly face I had seen in days. Her eyes had lit up and her lips curled upwards, unable to suppress her happiness.

"Link, I can't believe you've come home! Where did you go? Why are you back so soon?"

"I've done my job now," I said, sliding off Epona's saddle. My feet landed on the soft grass, and I was suddenly aware of how much I had missed the feeling of the earth beneath my boots.

"Are you really coming home?"

"I think so." I smiled again, picked up her basket and balanced it on Epona's saddle. Taking the reins, I walked home to Ordon with Ilia.

"You never sent me that letter, Link," she teased.

"I travel before it," I said. "I was sent back unexpectedly. I'm sure it will arrive in a day or two."

"What did you have to do?"

I sighed. "I had to return something to someone."

"That's it?" She laughed. "You're so mysterious, Link. You never tell anyone anything. There must have been more than that, right?" I shook my head and she laughed again. "What did you have to give back?"

"Something I've had for a long time, something very special that was given to me. But it was not mine to keep. All they wanted was that item back. That was all."

"All right, all right. You win, mystery man," she said mockingly. "It's nice to have you back again." A blushing smile graced her lips as she averted her eyes. I smiled back, but dreaded every step that brought me closer to Ordon.

We carried on and Ilia eventually started talking about other things, dropping the subject of my return entirely. Sometimes I was grateful for her prudence and her inability to pry secrets, but other times I wished I were able to unburden myself of all those things I had sworn to silence.

We crossed the bridge and reached the spring of Ordona. Seeing the small fairies hover lazily over the shimmering rose waters of the sunset, thoughts of Navi suddenly clung to my heart, making it regret all that wasted time I had spent searching for her.

"Ilia," I said. "I need to ask you something important."

We both stopped, the quiet hum of the spring rushing around us. "Yes, Link?"

"What would you do if - " I paused and looked away, gazing sadly at the fairies. "If someone you loved disappeared and then turned up seven years later, having been under your nose the entire time… what would you do?"

Her eyes were wide. I knew the question had shocked her, but I needed an answer from someone other than myself.

"I-I don't know, Link."

"Please, Ilia. Tell me what you would do."

"I would…I would feel very angry, and hurt." She fiddled with her hands, not looking at my face. "I…I would want to know why they hadn't come back sooner…Why, Link?"

"I just needed to know."

"Link, please tell me what's wrong."

"It's…nothing."

"Come on, Link. Something that specific is hardly 'nothing'."

"It happened a long time ago."

"Was this the person you went to see? To give something back to? This is not something happening seven years ago, Link. This is clearly happening right now!" She was raising her voice, the pain of being lied to plainly visible in her eyes. "Tell me what you're hiding! Why can't you trust me?"

"I do trust you, Ilia. There are just - " I stopped. "It's difficult."

"Stop it, Link. I don't want to be talking with you like this."

We stood awkwardly for a moment. Then I started forward, walking into the fairy pool. The water seeped into my boots, filling them with their cool, soothing flow. I held out my hand and one of the fairies rested on the glove of my gauntlet.

"A long time ago, I had a fairy, Ilia. Her name was Navi. I lost her seven years ago and went searching for her, but never found her. When I came back to Hyrule I found Ordon instead. You know from then onwards I lived and grew up in this village."

She nodded hesitantly, silently stepping forwards to join me in the spring.

"But in going to search for Navi, I had to say goodbye to someone else, the dearest friend I had ever known. They gave me their most treasured possession as a sign of our friendship, and I swore that I would return it to them when I returned. But I never went back to them, and now, after seven years our paths have crossed again. They were very upset with me, and now I've come home because they don't want to see me any more."

"Link…"

"There you are, Ilia. That is my secret. Do with it what you will." The fairy leapt off my fingers, its warmth gradually disappearing as my hand grew cold in the brisk evening air. "We should return to the village. It will be dark soon."

Ilia followed quietly and we barely smiled at each other when we reached my house. I handed her the basket of fruit and climbed my ladder, looking back at her as she went around the corner into the village. I thought I saw a thin trail of tears sparkle in the pale moonlight, but it was so fleeting that I could not be certain. I closed the door and flung myself on my bed.

Why had I not gone back to the castle? It all seemed so foolish now. It should have been the first thing I had done, but why hadn't I? I pondered the unanswerable question for a long time until eventually my eyes gave way to sleep. As I slept, Zelda's face haunted my every move as I crept through the dream world. She was smiling one minute then close to tears the next. She ran toward me and then stopped, her figure gradually becoming smaller and smaller, disappearing into the distance.

Everything was blue and white, the same landscape of the skyline that had somehow supported us both the day Zelda turned back time, the day I realised that I loved her.

Suddenly she was in front of me again in the time it took to blink an eyelid. But it wasn't the same. She pushed the Ocarina of Time into my hands, wishing me well on my journey, our childhood farewell playing out inside our adult bodies. Her hands were warm, her eyes dashed with unshed tears, her cheeks red and embarrassed. I enveloped her fingers in my hands, trapping them against the ocarina as I held them in mid-air. We gazed at each other softly, neither of us knowing what to say.

I smiled gently, easing my grip on her hands that immediately returned to her chest, clasping each other almost in prayer. I received the instrument and brushed away her unshed tears with my thumb, my fingers resting on the curve of her smooth jaw-line. She leant into an embrace, her arms wrapt tightly around my back. I stroked her golden hair, never wanting to let her go or the moment to end.

Zelda pulled back, our faces so close that she was all I could see, taste and feel. Every one of my senses felt heightened, as though I existed on the euphoria of our delicate, tender feelings which neither of us knew how to express. Every breath felt like a gentle breeze fresh with the wind's purity; every caress left a numb trail in its wake.

"Promise me you will return, Link." Her voice was melodic but melancholy, as though it was about to shatter into the sobs which I could feel about to burst inside her small body.

"I will never leave you, Zelda." I pulled her close again, her body almost seeming to disappear against me as I held her tightly and shut my eyes

Even though I could taste her scent, and feel the rise and fall of her chest, every inch of her body pressing against me, when I opened my eyes she was gone. I was left with an empty imprint that was invisible to see, but which kept pushing against my skin. I was left alone in that endless sky.

I awoke from my dream, still conscious of Zelda's ghost hugging the clothes that I had fallen asleep in.

Sighing, I thought to myself that that was how it should have been; time should never have been reversed, and we should have said farewell as adults, a pair in mutual understanding and affection. I had left one friend to find another, but I now realised that I should never have chosen them over the other.

Navi had left of her own accord, her task of guiding me having been completed. My own selfish need for a companion had outshone everything else, Zelda included, but everything I had wanted had always been there in front of me. I had been chasing a child's dream, a folly of my own ignorance.

Liberation set me alight. I could not undo the pain I had inflicted, but the overwhelming feeling of repentance urged me to leap off my bed, scramble out of my house, down the ladder and up onto Epona's saddle. We cantered away together, leaving once more with a resolve more fierce than any I had felt before. Impulse and instinct drove me forwards, and I would never cease until the empty space against my skin was full of Zelda's embrace.

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**AN: Apologies for the lateness of this chapter. Everything seemed to happen all at once these past couple of weeks. But here we are, finally. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope that everyone liked it as much as I did! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last time, and thanks to all the new-comers too! Please keep up the great support and review again. I'm really looking forward to writing the next chapter, but unfortunately I feel this story drawing to a close soon. But let's not dwell on that thought...**

**Until the next chapter - Perfect Soldier 01**


	8. Zelda: Forgiveness

**AN: Here we are, finally! Sorry about the wait! **

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**A Time Once Lost**

By Perfect Soldier 01

**Chapter 8: Zelda - Forgiveness**

That evening I shunned any sort of attention or counsel. My own folly seemed too deep for any assistance to aid my misery. I even refused Impa's presence for fear of further personal disgrace. She had seen me cry many times before; her motherly hands had softly stroked my hair in consolation, but she would not be able to remove the one image that plagued me most of all: the sight of Link's face, expressing the fullest extent of his anger and betrayed spirit.

My harsh words and bitter tone had transformed his handsome face into a scowling grimace, his piercing blue eyes narrowed and vicious. Even though they only stared at me for the briefest moment, my breath escaped me, and when I next spoke my words were a mere whisper. In that instant he had become the fierce wolf that hides within his heart, and I couldn't help but wonder how many of his enemies had seen that menacing face.

Now I had classed myself along with them, with the moblins and bokoblins, with the twilight monsters and shadow creatures, Zant and Ganondorf. I was no different in his eyes, a creature to be growled at and nothing more.

What had I done?

I dragged myself to my window and peered into the darkness. I remembered the time when I was full of hope upon Link's arrival and then nearly laughed ironically as I realised that it had only been a few days ago. So much had changed in that small space of time, but one thing had remained constant. The pain of his absence had never stopped, the wound had never healed, and now that I had banished him back to his home it felt like he was more out of reach than ever before. The visible borders of Faron Woods suddenly became the most insurmountable obstacle, the forest an impregnable fortress that would forever separate me from his side.

I tore my eyes away on the verge of tears that had already exhausted themselves. There was nothing left to weep. All that remained in my heartless body was the agonising emptiness of solitude.

My candle continued to burn as I slumped down onto the cold flagstones, resting my head against the foot of my bed. As I continued to dwell upon my blunders, sleep drifted in and out of my consciousness, never carrying away my troubles completely.

But I must have drifted off for a while, for I awoke in darkness to a loud banging hammering against my door. My candle was long extinguished and I could hear activity outside. As the loud noise forcefully shook me awake once again, I realised that the faint colours of the dawn sky were creeping up over the horizon.

"Zelda, open the door!"

I froze as his voice shouted from the other side of my door. What was he doing here? Why had he come?

Before I could answer any of my questions he had barged the door open. It slammed loudly into the wall, recoiling from the impact. His tall frame stood hunched and panting in the arch of the doorway, his heavy breath filling the silence.

Our eyes locked immediately, mine wide and trembling, his focused and determined. Link straightened himself up and began to take a step towards me. With every step he took my heart beat more wildly against my chest. I thought he would stop before me, but he kept closing the distance between us until there was nothing left. He backed me into a corner and gazed down at me, his face serious and passive. I felt terrified by his blank expression, and even more so when his arms suddenly placed themselves on my back, holding me fast against him. I panicked and struggled at first to escape his rough embrace, however I soon realised that attempting to move was futile.

I reluctantly eased myself and submitted to his will, standing there wondering what he meant by this, waiting for some kind of explanation. All I could see was my writing desk and my window beyond his shoulder; every other sense was transfixed by the overwhelming sensation of his close touch. With every moment that went by, the sun of the new morning rose into the sky and steadily filled my room with the gentle haze of the first light.

"I'm sorry," he said finally.

His grip loosened slightly as I barely began to register what he had said. Then the same words rolled out of his mouth again and again, the tender whisper rapidly succeeding into a hurried but earnest declaration.

My heart leapt at the sound of the simple phrase. Its sincerity resounded in my ears, numbing every guilt and sorrow of the previous day. He had forgiven me, and something beyond my control compelled me to raise my arms from my side and tentatively place them against the small of his back. He stopped mid-sentence.

I stepped back, easily breaking his hold, and lifted my eyes to meet his face. Every feature was strained with anguish, his apology having reduced his bravado into humility. He now stood before me as I had only moments ago, expectant and waiting for a response. With the fear of rejection evident in his wide and hopeful eyes, I choked back a small laugh as I tried to contain the happiness blooming inside me.

As soon as he saw me smile behind the first tears of relief that I had wept in a long time, the anxiety left his eyes; they softened and his frown vanished, but the tension remained, as if he could not believe what his vision told him.

I rushed back to him embracing him fully, inhaling his scent of the forest. I closed my eyes, surrendering everything to the feel of his body pressed against mine.

"It's okay," I murmured, holding back my tears. "It's okay."

He whispered my name as he returned the embrace in a way that was so entirely different from before.

"I'm sorry that this is seven years late," he said.

I laughed inwardly. "Seven years late is better than not at all." I paused for a moment to gather my courage. "I've missed you so much, Link. I never thought that I would have to live those seven years all over again." I felt him stiffen. "But that doesn't matter anymore, does it?"

Link mumbled an unconvinced assent.

I drew back, smiling as I placed my hands on his shoulders. "What's past is past." His face brightened. "It took me a while to realise that, but now that you're here everything will be okay, right?"

"Perhaps." He flashed a wicked and mischievous smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They say that time once lost is lost forever. What do you say to that?" he said teasingly.

"Well," I said, "we'll just have to prove them wrong won't - " He cut me off by placing a hand against the side of my face, and I could feel my skin grow hot underneath his fingers. " – we?" I finished.

I suddenly realised just how close we were standing to each other, quickly becoming conscious of the flourishing butterflies in my stomach, a mixture of fear and excitement bubbling through my body.

Somehow we both started to lean forward at the same time, the short distance between us becoming the longest space I had ever moved through. Our lips met, and in that instant of darkness the world span with thrilling dizziness. I was wonderfully light-headed, and even when we broke away and opened our eyes the sensation remained tingling on my mouth.

"Maybe it was just as well that this was seven years late," Link said, smirking.

"And why is that?" His infectious grin tugged at my lips, and I could barely suppress the urge to smile as well.

"Because," he said, pulling me so close that I could feel his words dance across my face, "I wouldn't have been able to do - " He paused. " – this," he whispered onto my lips, and he kissed me again.

"I will never leave your side," he continued.

"Don't start making promises yet," I warned playfully.

"No, no, I'm quite serious, princess."

His voice held a hint of sarcasm, but I realised that he really was serious when his arms clamped themselves around my side once more. "I think you're taking this a bit too far, Link." But he merely beamed with satisfaction.

A small silence fell between us, although it was soon broken by our awkward laughter. I realised that it was now or never.

"I love - " We both started, turning our heads away sheepishly as we both relished the fleeting feelings of our rapture before turning back our eyes to finish what we had begun, " – you."

The dawn had now risen, the sun filling my chamber with its bright morning light. The early purple haze had disappeared from underneath the clouds and the sky was full of the familiar but brilliantly clear blue that forever watched over Hyrule. Everything was quiet; nothing stirred. I remembered what I had thought about earlier, realising that nothing had really changed at all, that the world was still continuing on its same pattern and beginning afresh. But I knew that this morning had brought with it an unalterable difference that would mark out every day from this point forth.

I laid my head back against Link's chest, never wishing to let go, when I saw that the door had been pulled shut.

"Link," I said. "You didn't close my door, did you?"

"No," he said trailing off as he turned his head towards it too.

We both looked at each other in embarrassment, and then I bit my lip wondering when and for how long that door had been closed. I knew perfectly well who would have done such a thing, for only a Sheikah would have that amount of stealth and self-consciousness so as to not make the slightest sound.

I stifled a yawn, realising just how little sleep I had managed to get. Link must have seen my eyes fall unconsciously before I forced them open again, and he started to move for the door.

"Sorry," he said. "Keeping time was never one of my strong points. I'll leave you in peace, Zelda."

A sudden, childish fear gripped me that he would be returning to Ordon and impulsively I grabbed his arm. He smiled, reading the anxiety in my eyes.

"I trust that my chamber is still in my possession?"

I sighed inwardly in relief. "Of course."

"Well," he said, taking my hand and kissing it in mock ceremony, "until this afternoon, princess."

He turned and left, closing my door properly before his footsteps disappeared down the hallway. I pressed my ear to the wooden panel, grinning uncontrollably as I listened to his presence grow softer and softer until all I could hear was the surrounding silence of the morning.

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**AN: Thanks for your reviews last chapter, and for those of you who have continued to read this one! Please review again, even if it's negative. :)**

**On a sadder note, I'm afraid that this chapter has brought me to the end of my original idea. I think a couple of things need tying up with an epilogue, but unless anyone has any other suggestions, I think that this could mean the end. Expect an epilogue in a couple of weeks!**

**Thanks again to everyone who has persevered with this story. :) Your support has been invaluable. **

**- Perfect Soldier 01**


	9. Link: Keatons and Rabbits

**AN: Here we are! This took me longer to write than I had first expected, so I apologise for keeping you waiting! I've been alerted to the fact that there was a lack of Link explaining his actions in the last chapter, so I've tried to put some here to tie things up better. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy it!**

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**A Time Once Lost**

By Perfect Soldier 01

**Epilogue: Link - Keatons and Rabbits**

I stood alone in my chamber, looking down at what I held in my hands and what was spread out on the desk in front of me. The remnants of my adventure in Termina, my masks, stared up at me with their blank expression. Silent, they offered me no answer as to why I had been so foolish.

Glancing out the window, the sun shone brightly through the clear day. It had been some time now since I had returned here, since I had marched my way up to Zelda's chamber in the small hours of the morning… I smiled in remembrance of her soft smile, her open arms, and her beautiful lips; but whenever my mind came to rest fondly on that day I was always left with the bitter after-taste of realising that all I had offered her was an apology.

I had given her no reason, no explanation, and the silence was becoming more and more of a burden to me. I knew that my happiness was becoming jeopardised by the guilt of having made her suffer for so long. Nothing would ever equate to all the sorrow she had experienced.

Suddenly my door creaked open, framing the very woman who had been at the centre of my thoughts.

"Link, are you all right? You said that you would only be a moment or two, but you've been gone for nearly half an hour now."

My mouth dropped open. I had promised to take her horse riding and I was only meant to be finding Epona's whistle. I liked to wear it while I was riding out of sentiment, but I had stumbled across my masks instead. I apologised sheepishly and scratched the back of my neck, embarrassed by my forgetfulness, but Zelda merely walked up to my side and peered down at the Keaton Mask in my hands.

"What's that?" she asked.

"T-This is one of the masks I found in Termina. I found those accidentally while I was searching for my whistle. I'm sorry, my mind got side-tracked," I said, trying to laugh it off.

Zelda nodded nonchalantly and gingerly raised the mask to her head. "Well?" She giggled as she cocked her head to one side.

"Very fitting. It suits you well," I said, a smile of my own rising on my face.

She brought the mask down, hit my arm playfully and placed it back in my hands. "So you would rather play with your masks than ride with me, would you?"

"N-No, of course not!"

But she faced away from me and folded her arms in mock irritation. I realised that she was waiting for me, and I hurriedly dove into my bags to retrieve Epona's whistle.

"Shall we go? We won't be able to get very far before the sun goes down if we wait any longer," she said, turning her head to the side as she arched her eyebrow. "Really, Link, I cannot believe that you would dare to keep your dearest princess waiting for so long! I think some sort of punishment is in order."

As I spotted the whistle wrapped inside its cloth, I turned around to find that Zelda had picked up my Bunny Hood from the table. A malicious grin was emerging on her face as she approached, and her soft fingers brushed against my ears as she reached up to place it on my head. At once I felt the magic of the hood flow down into my body, a sensation so forgotten I almost jumped inside my skin.

"This is for keeping me waiting," she murmured close to my mouth, and I moved forward in expectation of a kiss but she stepped away just before I could catch her lips. "I'm going to make you wear that for the rest of the day," she said triumphantly as she walked towards the door.

Though I had been teased and denied, a daring idea of revenge appeared in my mind as the irrepressible energy of the hood bounced in my veins.

"You have no idea what this mask does, do you?" I said with a dangerous tone in my voice, beginning to feel the uncontrollable urge to bounce up and down on my feet.

She glanced back, a little unnerved by my words, the pert smile disappearing. Without warning I sprung towards her with such speed that even I couldn't believe the magic that this hood possessed. I scooped her up in my arms and hauled her down the corridor, out into the gardens, and up the mountainside where we would have taken the horses. All the while she screamed my name, shouting for me to stop and let her down, but the shrieking laughter in-between the threats to throw me in the dungeons and feed me to the Wolfos made it all the more enjoyable.

Eventually the snow made it difficult to run much further, but I stumbled having forgotten how to slow down properly. Both of us went down together in the cold, wet blanket of icy snow, but neither of us stopped laughing until we came to a complete stop. We were holding onto each other tightly, revelling in each other's warmth, until Zelda pushed away from me. I sat up in puzzlement but was nearly knocked down again by a lump of snow being thrown at my face.

"What was that for?" I said, wiping it out of my eyes, but she merely giggled and threw another one in its place. "All right then, princess. Two can play this game."

I dug my hand into the snow from where I sat and threw the entire contents in her direction. It collided with her neck and slid down over her shoulder, causing her to shiver. Her hand flew to where it had hit and she winced in pain. At that moment anxiety flooded my heart and the competition fled from my eyes as I immediately crawled over to her, apologising for throwing it so hard.

I really thought I had hurt her, but when she looked at me from the corner of her eyes and grinned, I knew I had been played the fool. But before she could assault me with another snowball, I leapt forward and enveloped her in my arms and we rolled gently down the sloping pathway. When we came to a stop, I looked down at her flushed face.

"You look so silly, Link," she said, trying hard to restrain herself from laughing.

I pressed my forehead to hers. "How about now? I asked.

"That's better," she replied, her hands tightening their grip on my back, and I leant down to kiss her parted lips while the snow started to fall from the sky again.

I felt her warmth all around me, the cold wind becoming as refreshing as a light summer breeze. But all the energy that rushed through me suddenly felt like it was being sucked away with every breath I took, and I realised that Zelda was pulling the hood away from my face. However, when the nape of my neck was suddenly blasted by the elements as well, I discovered that my Kokiri cap had been discarded as well. Zelda's hands were roaming through my hair, the unfamiliar sensation becoming more and more likeable by the second.

"Is my punishment lifted then?" I asked as I drew in the chilling air.

"I think so," Zelda answered coyly.

But at that moment an orange light shone brightly in the corner of my eye, causing me to sit up and see the giant sun beginning to set over the mountains.

"We had better be heading back," I said, offering her my hand to her.

We stood together watching the sun blaze in the sky for a moment, our hands tightly entwined, before Zelda started to sneeze. I began to reach for Epona's whistle when Zelda's hand stopped me.

"Seeing as how you had the courtesy to carry me out here, I think you should carry me back."

"Yes, your majesty," I said in mock ceremony as I obediently placed both of my hoods back on my head and I picked her up again. "Comfortable?"

"Very," she said as she nuzzled her head into my shoulder.

"Aren't you the sly one?" I said light-heartedly. "I think you should keep that Keaton Mask, you know. You're certainly about as cunning as any Keaton I've ever met, taking advantage of me like this."

I felt her smile indulgently against me, but it was soon followed by another sneeze. "I would like to hear more about your masks, Link. When I've changed I want you to tell me about them," she paused hesitantly, "and about your adventure in Termina."

A lump of reluctance rose in my throat but I swallowed it back down. "Of course, Zelda."

We parted ways when we arrived back at the manor, each of us needing to exchange our damp clothes for others. When I opened my chamber door, I replaced the Bunny Hood on my table and thought about what I was going to say to her.

Before too long Zelda was waiting outside and as I opened my door to her, I noticed that she had let her damp hair fall down her back, released from its tight plait. It curled around the ends into small ringlets and I wondered what it would feel like wrapped around my fingers.

"Link, it's like the middle of the night in here!" she said, breaking my train of thought. "Why haven't you lit your candles yet?"

Mumbling an apology, I went to light the single candlestick by my bed. I threw the match into the fireplace and blew gently into the logs to kindle the tiny flames, and brought the candle to the desk where we both sat down side by side.

"Is that the only candle you have?" Zelda continued, and I nodded. She sighed and peered around my room with disapproval. "Well, this is hardly fitting for the Hero of Time. I shall have a word with Impa and ask for you to be moved to a better room."

"Thank you," I said.

"After all, you're so far away at the moment that I doubt you would be of any use if someone came to attack me." She let her words linger, her cunning smile winning through.

Her beautiful face never failed to charm me, and now was no exception. I took her hand and her happiness shone brighter, making it all the more difficult to begin what I had been preparing.

"Zelda," I said with my eyes averted, "I need to explain something before I begin – something that I need to tell you." I looked up and her smile had vanished at the sound of my solemn words. Instead it was replaced by an expression of utmost concern. "I wanted to explain why I never returned."

"L-Link, don't - " she began, her hands retreating back to her knees.

"Zelda, please." I looked straight in her eyes. Eventually she nodded in understanding. "I know that you probably don't want to hear my excuses, but I need to tell you."

I took a deep breath and plunged into what I had rehearsed. "When I came back from Termina, Hyrule seemed like a very different place to one that I had left behind. Without a constant friend at my side it felt very lonely too; all I had was Epona. But through a stroke of luck I met the people of Ordon Village. Well, I actually met one of their goats first," I said warmly, thinking back to when I had wrestled a stray young kid to the ground in the forest. "Fado instantly took me in as his apprentice goatherd."

"You were a goatherd?" Zelda said incredulously.

"Yes, I was," I laughed, thinking about how ironic it must appear for the Hero of Time to be reduced to a shepherd. "Having to look after the goats all day left little time for anything else, but it was nice living like everybody else. Some of the things I had seen in Termina were horrible, disturbing even, and not having to confront those everyday was a relief. I felt like I could finally rest a bit."

I glanced at Zelda. Her eyes were fixed on my clenched hands but my pause caused them to jolt back up to face me. When she looked at me I saw the first glimmer of sadness begin to float across her eyelids, and I reclaimed both of her hands in my own.

"It's exactly like Impa told me," she whispered, her breath caught in her throat. "But I wouldn't believe her…"

"Zelda," I murmured, pulling her hands closer and motioning for an embrace.

She gratefully stood up and sat herself in my lap as I cradled her head against my shoulder, stroking her the top of her head with my fingers.

"I thought about coming back to you, I truly did," I continued, becoming conscious of the fact that I was stepping into unrehearsed territory. "In all honesty, I was frightened that you might have forgotten me. Everybody else seemed to. Nobody in Ordon seemed to know of what had happened with Ganondorf. It seemed nothing but a legend, an event that had happened hundreds of years ago. I kept imagining myself turning up at the castle and being thrown out for claiming I was the Hero of Time. 'Who would believe a mere child?' I always thought."

I kissed Zelda's hair. "I never thought that it would be _you_ waiting when Midna brought me to see you."

She brought her head up close to mine, her eyes more misty with held-back tears than before, and I held her face along her smooth jaw line.

"I didn't want anyone to remember," she choked. "_I _didn't want to remember what had happened. When I turned back time, I cast another spell that would make your efforts seem like a distant memory, so that the people would understand what had happened without having to relive its horrors everyday. Even though I wanted to forget those seven years as much as everyone else did, I couldn't force myself to forget you, Link. I suppose we were each a victim of the choices we made, weren't we?"

Her voice was thick with emotion, and before I could see her shed the tears brimming on the edges of her eyelashes I hugged her fiercely. We held each other tightly, neither of us saying a word, listening only to the sound of each other breathing and the crackling of the fire.

"We might never be able to regain what we lost," I said eventually, "but we can at least try to make the best of now, can't we?"

Zelda gazed up at me and smiled weakly. "Yes, we can."

I leant down and kissed her with every ounce of my love. Her lips yielded easily, responding with just as much feeling and affection. My heart felt like it might burst at any moment and I never wanted to let her go for fear of it breaking. But her hands began weaving themselves around my neck, subduing the raging torrents of my guilt and sorrow with her gentle caresses. Her fingertips slowly pushed back the rim on my Kokiri hood once more until it glided down to the flagstones.

"Do you not like my hat?" I whispered against her cheek as my mouth began to wander from her lips.

She blushed. "Of course I do…" she said, trailing off as I kissed her neck. "But I like your hair better."

"Maybe I'll wear it less often then."

She was silent for a moment, and then what I had been waiting for was voiced. "You still have to tell me about Termina, Link."

Her request brought me out of my delightful reverie. I sighed my displeasure light-heartedly, but she hung about me tenderly which made telling my tale not quite so bad. We talked long into the evening, Zelda wanting to know every detail about each of my masks. We soon fell back into our usual banter, the heavy emotions of earlier seeming far away. She would smirk at me with her witty remarks and I would scratch the back of my ears in embarrassment, especially when I had to explain about the Great Fairy Mask.

I was so busy talking that I hadn't noticed Zelda's slowed breathing and the diminishing number of her comments. It was only when an expected remark never materialised that I realised that the princess had fallen sound asleep in my lap. The last thing I wanted to do was disturb her, but I already knew that the servants were chattering about our relationship, or at least about how Zelda was spending a considerable amount of her time in my company.

For the sake of her honour I forced myself to take her back to her room. She stirred as I slipped my hands under her knees and stood up but soon settled back into the crook of my shoulder. I was lucky to meet nobody on my way towards Zelda's room, but when I arrived I found it difficult to part from her. I knew I would miss her warmth once I returned to my dark room, and the thought of even sleeping on her floor seemed more appealing at that moment, if only to be near her.

But then the maid who came in with Zelda's breakfast would probably not look too kindly on finding me in the princess's chamber at such an early hour. I sighed in resignation and I gently laid her down on her bed with more success than I had predicted. However just as I turned to go I caught the sight of her eyes fluttering open.

I knelt at her bedside and kissed her forehead. "Go back to sleep, my love," I whispered, my lips wanting to linger on her skin, but I pulled myself away and stood in the doorway until I was satisfied she was at rest. Her face was leaning toward me with the serenity of a child, her eyes closed, her breathing steady. I wasn't sure how long I stood there watching her beautiful form slumber away, and I only turned away when my own eyes started to droop.

"Goodnight, my princess." And with that I crept back to my room in the silence of the early morning.

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**AN: Thanks so much to everyone who has taken the time to read and review** _A Time Once Lost_** in the past. Your support has been invaluable:) Please continue to do so for this one too! I'm really pleased with how this turned out, especailly as I haven't written anything wuite like this before, or anything in a while for that matter! I'm also curious to find out which parts you guys liked best, so please take the time to tell me which was your favourite chapter/paragraph/whatever :D It will help me to write what you want to read!**

**On a different note, I'm pleased to annouce that I have an idea for a sequel to** _A Time Once Lost_**! Not too sure when I'm going to start writing that, but to give a small teaser, the summary will probably go something like this:**

Just when Link and Zelda have overcome their painful pasts, Zelda takes in interest in Link's mask collection. But when Link tries on his Fierce Deity Mask, the god inside it has other plans and doens't want to let Link take him off quite so easily as he put him on. Will Zelda be able to persuade the god to return Link to her, or will something more unexpected occur between them?

**I promise you plenty of LxZ goodness. Hopefully I won't make you wait too long, as I'm quite excited about writing it. Anyway, I hope that you have enjoyed this story, thanks again for your support, and until next time, **

**- Perfect Solider 01**


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